New Jersey will dramatically reduce the weight of student test scores in teacher job reviews under a new measure that the Murphy administration announced Friday.

Student scores on state tests called PARCC will account for 5 percent of a teacher’s evaluation in the new school year — down from 30 percent. The decision was hailed by teachers, who have vigorously fought to lessen the importance of student test scores in their job reviews, arguing that it was a flawed and unfair measure.

“Governor Murphy showed that he trusts parents and educators when it comes to what’s best for students," Marie Blistan, president of the New Jersey Education Association, the largest teachers’ union in the state, said in a statement. "The decision frees us to focus on what really matters.”

A New Jersey law, passed in 2012, toughened teacher evaluations and required that student achievement be one of the measures. Supporters said it would make teachers more accountable for student performance, but the measure tying scores on state tests in math and English – impacting about 20 percent of teachers – was highly controversial.

Critics said the test, called PARCC, was not a good measure of learning and that the method of rating teachers was unfair to those who have a larger number of disadvantaged students in their classrooms. Others said the method drove teachers to “teach to the test,” taking away time from other subjects.

Under the revised rules, student achievement will still account for 30 percent of a teacher’s evaluation, but with a twist, according to the state Department of Education. Now, 5 percent will be based on student scores on state testsand a quarter will be based on student growth determined by the principal and teacher.

For teachers who don’t teach subjects with state tests, evaluations will not change; 85 percent will be based on teacher practice and 15 percent on students’ academic growth.